Biopsy device with inner cutter

A tissue biopsy device for accessing and collecting a tissue specimen from a target site within a patient, comprising:

• a. a drive housing which has a plurality of drive units;
• b. an outer member which is releasably secured to the drive housing, which has a proximal tubular portion, which has an inner lumen extending within the proximal tubular portion, which has a tissue penetrating distal tip, which has an open section proximal to the tissue penetrating distal tip and which has a supporting strut extending from the penetrating distal tip to the proximal tubular portion;
• c. a tissue accessing cannula which is slidably disposed at least in part within the inner lumen of the proximal tubular portion of the outer member, which has an inner lumen extending therein, and which has a tissue receiving aperture spaced proximal to the distal end thereof in fluid communication with the inner lumen of the accessing cannula and which is operably secured to a drive unit in the drive housing to rotate the tissue receiving cannula to adjust the orientation of the tissue receiving aperture;
• and
• d. an elongated tissue cutter which is formed at least in part of a tubular member, which is slidably disposed within the inner lumen of the tissue accessing cannula, which has a tissue cutting surface, which has an inner lumen extending therein configured to receive a tissue specimen cut by the tissue cutter, and which is connected to a drive unit to move the tissue cutter within the inner lumen of the tissue accessing cannula.

A probe for a tissue biopsy device for accessing and collecting a tissue specimen from a target site within a patient, comprising:

• a. an outer member which has a proximal tubular portion configured to be releasably secured to a drive housing, which has an inner lumen extending therein, which has a tissue penetrating distal tip, which has an open section proximal to the penetrating distal tip and a supporting strut extending from the penetrating distal tip to the proximal tubular portion;
• b. a tissue accessing cannula which is slidably disposed at least in part within the inner lumen of the tubular portion of the outer member, which has an inner lumen extending therein, and which has a tissue receiving aperture spaced proximal to the distal end thereof in fluid communication with the inner lumen of the accessing cannula and which is configured to be operably secured to a drive unit in a drive housing to rotate the tissue receiving cannula to adjust the orientation of the tissue receiving aperture;
• and
• c. an elongated tissue cutting member which is slidably disposed within the inner lumen of the tissue accessing cannula, which has at least one longitudinal tissue cutting surface, which defines at least in part an inner lumen for receiving tissue cut by the tissue cutting surface, and which is connected to a drive unit to move the tissue cutter within the inner lumen of the tissue accessing cannula.

A method of separating a biopsy tissue specimen from supporting tissue at a target site within a patient's body, comprising:

• a. providing a biopsy device having a biopsy probe comprising:
• i. an outer member which is releasably secured to a drive housing, which has an inner lumen extending therein, which has a tissue penetrating distal tip secured thereto, which has an open section proximal to the penetrating distal tip and a supporting strut extending from the penetrating distal tip;
• ii. a tissue accessing cannula which is slidably disposed at least in part within the inner lumen of the outer member, which has an inner lumen extending therein, and which has a tissue receiving aperture spaced proximal to the distal end thereof in fluid communication with the inner lumen of the accessing cannula and which is operably secured to a drive unit in the drive housing to rotate the tissue receiving cannula to adjust the orientation of the tissue receiving aperture, and
• iii. an elongated tissue cutting member which is formed at least in part of a tubular member, which is slidably disposed within the inner lumen of the tissue accessing cannula, which has at least one tissue cutting surface, which has an inner lumen extending therein for receiving a tissue specimen cut by the tissue cutting surface, and which is connected to a drive unit to move the tissue cutter within the inner lumen of the tissue accessing cannula;
• b. advancing the probe at least partially into or adjacent to tissue at the target site;
• c. exposing the aperture of the accessing cannula to tissue at the tissue site;
• d. applying a vacuum to the inner lumen of the tissue accessing cannula or the tissue cutter to draw tissue from the tissue site into the inner lumen of the accessing cannula;
• e. rotating the tissue cutter to cut tissue drawn into the inner lumen from supporting tissue at the tissue site;
• and
• f. transporting a tissue specimen through the inner lumen of the tissue cutter.